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The Alternative Factor (episode)
Investigating the cause of a massive, galaxy-wide disruption in space, the Enterprise finds a mad scientist who claims that he is being pursued by a hideous being. Summary In standard orbit around an iron-silica-type uncharted planet, the prepares to complete its survey, when everything within sensor range suddenly "blinks", almost as if the universe is on the verge of ceasing to exist. And, in the wake of this, a man appears on the surface of the planet, where moments earlier there was no life. Beaming down, Captain Kirk, Spock, and the landing party encounter a man. Dirty, and disheveled, he falls from a rock. The landing party returns to the Enterprise with him, where Kirk learns more news – the strange phenomena drained the dilithium crystals almost completely. Still worse, Starfleet issues a Code Factor 1 message – invasion status. The effect experienced by the Enterprise was also experienced everywhere in the galaxy, and far beyond. Starfleet withdraws all nearby ships – Kirk and Enterprise are the bait. Kirk talks to his "guest" – a man named Lazarus, who is pursuing a "thing", a monster who destroyed his entire civilization. Beaming down, Kirk learns from Spock that there is no other creature here. Accusing Lazarus of lying, Kirk demands the truth – and the universe turns inside out. The same "winking" phenomenon occurs again. And Lazarus... first he has a bandaged forehead, and then he doesn't, and then he does again. on the viewscreen]] Meanwhile, Spock has discovered a source of radiation that is not there – a "rip" in the universe, where regular physical laws do not apply. The key to locating this source seems to be the dilithium crystals – a revelation which excites Lazarus, who demands the impossible: that Kirk give him the crystals. Lazarus overpowers two engineering officers and steals two crystals – and when confronted, denies it, blaming his monster. And the evidence suggests he isn't the thief, for the crystals are not aboard his ship. Back aboard the Enterprise, Kirk confronts Lazarus with his lies, and learns that Lazarus distorted a fact: he is a time traveler. The dead world Enterprise orbits is the distant future of his destroyed homeworld; the place and time he has traveled to in pursuit of the monster. Speculating, Kirk and Spock conclude that the strange energy must come from a source outside the universe. A source in another universe. There are two copies of Lazarus, and they are periodically exchanging places through a kind of door – and if they ever exist in the same universe at the same time, everything, everywhere, will be annihilated in a cataclysmic matter/antimatter explosion. Meanwhile, Lazarus starts a fire, and under cover of it, steals two crystals, then beams down. Kirk pursues. As he attempts to enter Lazarus' ship, he vanishes, hurled through the corridor into the other universe. There he meets the other Lazarus, the sane Lazarus, and learns the truth. Anti-Lazarus' people discovered how to pass through the negative magnetic corridor that both connects and protects the two universes. When this happened, Lazarus couldn't bear the knowledge that he had a duplicate, and resolved to destroy his other. He is mad and doesn't care if this causes the death of two universes. Anti-Lazarus and Kirk realize he must be stopped: if Kirk can force Lazarus into the corridor, Anti-Lazarus can hold him there, and Kirk can destroy his ship – which will also destroy Anti-Lazarus' ship. Access to the corridor will be sealed forever, and both universes will be safe. And two men named Lazarus will be at each others' throats for the remainder of eternity. Log Entries *"Captain’s log, stardate 3087.6. While investigating an uncharted planet, the ''Enterprise, and at least this entire quadrant of space, has been subjected to violent, unexplained stress and force. Sensors have reported the presence of a human being on the planet below who might be connected with the phenomenon. With my first officer and a security team, I have set out in search of him." *"''Captain’s log, stardate 3088.3. We continue to orbit the dead planet, which seems to be the source of the phenomenon which has struck the Enterprise, and all sections of the galaxy, once again. As for Lazarus, the story he tells me about the humanoid continues to trouble me." *"Captain’s log, stardate 3088.7. We are no closer to finding an answer to the strange phenomenon than we were at the beginning. Not only have two of my crewmen been attacked, two of our dilithium crystals are missing, and without them, the Enterprise cannot operate at full power. They must be found." Memorable Quotes "He's in a great deal of pain!" : - McCoy "Sometimes pain can drive a man harder than pleasure, I'm sure you know that, Doctor!" : - Kirk "Before we picked you up, our ship sustained a number of incredible effects." "That was He! He's Death! Anti-Life! He lives to destroy!!" : - Kirk and Lazarus "He'll kill us all if you don't kill him first! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!!" : - Lazarus "Captain. I beg of you... I plead... I ''demand! Give me the crystals!" "''Out of the question. Those crystals are the very heart of the power of my ship." "You fool! There won't be any ship if we don't kill him. He'll destroy all of you!" "How? Now you tell me how! All I've heard from you is double-talk, lies, threats! Accusations that don't hold an ounce of water; now you tell me... how does it present a danger to my ship?" : - Lazarus and Kirk "Listen to me! He's humanoid! Well he- he can pilot a spaceship. He can compute formulas to destroy races. He can steal an energy source...for his vehicle...so he can escape from me... ''are you deaf as well as blind!?" : - '''Lazarus' "That's just it! That's the key! That's the way to trap him! That's the solution!!" : - Lazarus, regarding dilithium crystals "Fact: You said you needed the crystals. Fact: An hour after you said you "must have them", they were missing! Fact: Two of my crewman were attacked!" : - Kirk "This leaping from universe to universe. This wild talk about a murdering creature who destroys civilizations. What's the purpose?" "Jim... madness has no purpose. Or reason. But, it may have a goal." : - Kirk and Spock "Find my enemy. Find the Beast! And you'll find the crystals." "How'd this beast get aboard my ship?" "He did! Isn't that enough?" : -'Lazarus' and Kirk "He must be stopped. Held. Destroyed if necessary." : - Spock, on Lazarus "So you're the terrible thing? The murdering monster? The creature?" "Yes, Captain. Or he is. It depends on your point of view, doesn't it?." : - Kirk and Lazarus/Anti-Lazarus "Surely Lazarus must realize what would happen if you were to meet face to face outside the corridor." "Of course he knows – Captain. But he's mad. You've heard him; he's lost his mind. When our people found a way to slip through the warp and prove that another universe, an identical one, existed, it was too much for him. He could not live knowing that I lived. He became obsessed with the idea of destroying me. And the fact that it meant his own destruction, and everything else, meant nothing to him." : - Kirk and Anti-Lazarus "You'll be trapped inside that corridor with him forever. At each other's throats throughout time." "Is it such a large price to pay for the safety of two universes?" : - Kirk and Anti-Lazarus "Welcome, captain!" "To a parallel universe... anti-matter?" "Here, yes." "And if identical particles meet?" "The end of everything." :- Kirk and Anti-Lazarus, summing up the situation. Background Information Continuity * The sage of the terms "matter" and "antimatter" in this episode is inconsistent with its usage elsewhere in the series. For example, Kirk travels to an antimatter universe, where he should explode, yet he does not. Yet if Lazarus and anti-Lazarus meet, both universes will be entirely destroyed, which is also inconsistent. Antimatter, as used in other episodes, is more or less consistent with its real characteristics and behavior; in this episode, the term is used strangely and completely incorrect. Cast and Characters *James Doohan (Scotty) and George Takei (Sulu) do not appear in this episode. This accounts for the absence of Scotty, even though in such a circumstance (Lazarus attacking engineering crewmembers, setting off fires in engineering spaces, and stealing power crystals, etc) the Chief Engineer would surely have been present. * Richard Derr, who plays Commodore Barstow in this episode, later played Admiral Fitzgerald in the episode . * John Drew Barrymore (father of actress Drew Barrymore) was originally contracted to play Lazarus, but didn't show up to work. The grievance filed against him on this account by the Star Trek production team led to him being unable to find acting work for a number of years after. Robert Brown was a last-minute replacement. Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman detail the incident in their book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. * Periodically throughout the episode, the two versions of Lazarus exchange places. One of them has a wound on his head which McCoy treated: this is the 'insane' Lazarus from our universe; the other is his more rational counterpart from the antimatter universe. It is, however, extremely difficult to tell the two apart, because they both tend to rant. * This is the first episode in which Eddie Paskey is featured (as "Lesley") in the ending credits. * This is the second time that we see Lieutenant Leslie in the command chair. He takes command over a Lieutenant Commander, who serves as navigator. * There is no officer played by Larry Riddle as noted in the Star Trek Concordance. Lieutenant Larry Riddle was Charlene Masters' jealous boyfriend in the first draft of the script. http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/articles/alternative_factor2.htm Sets and Props * Part of the dilithium energizer panel uses the same controls as the neural neutralizer from . * The dome of Lazarus' time ship is later reused to encase the Providers in . * The standing engineering set is not used in this episode. When Lazarus attempts to sabotage engineering, he does so to an entirely new set. Costumes and Make-up * Lazarus' beard goes from very full to almost nonexistent depending on the scene. * Lieutenant Masters wears no braid on the sleeves of her uniform, but she is addressed as a lieutenant. A similar wardrobe event happend in when Lieutenant Marla McGivers also is "braidless." * Although Masters works in Engineering, she wears the blue uniform of the Science/Medical branch. Effects * The visual of the iron-silica planet from orbit is reused footage previously representing Alfa 177 in and M-113 in . This planet effect was reused again as Argus X in and Ardana in . * The shot of the Enterprise destroying Lazarus's ship is unique on three counts. First, it is the only time we see the Enterprise from behind as it fires phasers. Second, it is the only time that the ship fires a single beam (as opposed to the usual two). Finally, it is the only time that the phasers make no noise – at least when the beam is seen in space. * The footage of the two Lazaruses fighting was created by filming two stuntmen fighting in a smoke-filled room with orange and purple walls, then double-exposing its color negative footage over an astronomical photograph of the Trifid Nebula. Other Information * The original script called for an interracial entanglement between Charlene Masters and Lazarus http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/articles/alternative_factor2.htm that was eventually cut for a number of reasons, the most significant of which was a reluctance of southern broadcast companies to show a "black-white" romantic interlude on network television (a similar problem would come up again in but the southern stations eventually gave in). This removal created a "void" in the plot, which was filled with additional planet side action. This caused a somewhat repetitive theme of Lazarus wandering about the desert planet falling off of cliffs and have multiple encounters with his nemesis "the thing". * The episode references Starbase 200; however in The Making of Star Trek, it is established that there are only seventeen starbases during the timeframe of the Original Series. This issue again appears in , in which the colonists are to be removed to Starbase 27. Production Timeline * Treatment by Don Ingalls: * Treatment: * Treatment: * First draft teleplay: * First draft script: * Final draft script: * Filmed late November 1966 Video and DVD releases *Original US Betamax release: . *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 11, catalogue number VHR 2295, release date unknown. *US VHS release: . *UK re-release (three-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 1.7, . *Original US DVD release (single-disc): Volume 10, . *As part of the TOS Season 1 DVD collection. *As part of the TOS Season 1 HD-DVD collection. Links and References Main Cast (Robert Brown)]] * William Shatner as Kirk * Leonard Nimoy as Spock Guest Star * Robert Brown as Lazarus Featuring * DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy * Janet MacLachlan as Charlene Masters With * Nichelle Nichols as Uhura * Richard Derr as Barstow * Arch Whiting as an assistant engineer * Christian Patrick as a transporter chief * Eddie Paskey as Leslie (credited as "Lesley") Uncredited Cast * Frank da Vinci as Brent * Ron Veto as Harrison (security guard #1) * Tom Lupo as security guard #2 * Vince Calenti as security guard #3 * William Blackburn as Hadley (security guard #4) Stunts * Al Wyatt as Lazarus' stunt double #1 * Bill Catching as Lazarus' stunt double #2 * Gary Combs as Kirk's stunt double References antimatter; cartographic section; Code Factor 1; dilithium; Fahrenheit; Human; hydrogen; iron; Komack; magnetic field; negative magnetic corridor; oxygen; silicon; Starbase 200; uncharted planet; zero gravity External link * |next= |lastair= |nextair= |lastair_remastered= |nextair_remastered= }} Alternative Factor, The de:Auf Messers Schneide es:The Alternative Factor fr:The Alternative Factor nl:The Alternative Factor